The Councilmembers representing the city’s five districts — Joe Giarrusso, Jay H. Banks, Jared C. Brossett, Kristin Gisleson Palmer, and Cyndi Nguyen — will host a free citywide mask giveaway at 10 a.m. this Saturday, June 13. Uptown locations include the Notre Dame Seminary, 2901 S. Carrolton Ave., and Kingsley House, 1600 Constance St.
The event is set to provide 16,000 face coverings to the public, many of which are washable and reusable, to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
This joint mask giveaway by the five District Councilmembers is their way of encouraging the wearing of masks or face coverings as the City of New Orleans continues its phased reopening.
“As New Orleans works to reopen the doors for our local business, industries, and community organizations, many citizens still need face coverings or masks to reduce the likelihood of spreading COVID-19,” said District D Councilman Jared Brossett in a statement. “We are all in this together, and as a Council, we are coming together to keep the citizens of New Orleans safe.”
The council members are using the mask giveaway as a continuation of their efforts to help vulnerable residents throughout New Orleans during the pandemic. Each council member has hosted numerous free food pantry events and mask giveaways over the last few months.
“As we continue to adjust to the ‘new normal’ of wearing a mask whenever we leave our homes, it’s imperative that we provide them for all our residents,” said District C Councilwoman Kristin Palmer. “Through the Council’s SewDat initiative, we have provided more than 20,000 face coverings to essential workers and transit riders as well as our most vulnerable citizens – seniors and pregnant women. We appreciate businesses, organizations and individuals who are donating masks and face coverings to support their fellow neighbors.”
“I would like to thank the Cantrell administration and SewDat NOLA for their generous donation of masks and for helping us keep the people of New Orleans safe,” added District A Councilman Joe Giarrusso.
“While we are seeing the curve flatten, this pandemic is still a present danger. I’m happy to band together with my colleagues and SC Health to do this city wide mask distribution,” said District B Councilman Jay H. Banks.
The giveaway begins at 10 a.m. at all locations and continue until masks run out. Locations include:
- Walmart Supercenter, 4301 Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans, LA 70126
- Notre Dame Seminary, 2901 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118
- New Home Ministries, 13800, Hayne Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70126
- Kingsley House, 1600 Constance St., New Orleans, LA 70130
- Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Drive, New Orleans, LA 70131
District E Councilwoman Cyndi Nguyen harped on the importance of safety. In a statement to the press, she said, “New Orleans is a city defined by its people, and we as citizens should make every effort to protect our most valuable asset. We have given out thousands of masks over the course of the past 11 weeks, and we are continuing this effort to keep our communities and people safe.”
